From Venice we took a five hour train ride to Innsbruck. We passed through some great scenery in northern Italy. The train snaked its way through the alps and finally reached Innsbruck, just over the border into Austria. It was a beautiful sunny day and we were able to see the peaks of the mountains. This was much more than Jeremy saw 10 years ago when he came in January. He was quite amazed at everything he was able to see and didnīt realize the mountains were so high, as they had been covered in clouds the prior time.

Our hostel was a fabulous B&B in the heart of Innsbruck. It was located right above an incredible cafe, where they served homemade cakes and provided us a wonderful breakfast. Our first day was spent hanging around the main center of Innsbruck, as we arrived in the afternoon

. For those who havenīt been to Innsbruck, imagine a cross between Leavenworth and Whistler Village in Canada. It had the Bavarian feel, but the shops and cafes as does Whistler village.

The next day we walked up to the Olympic ski jump that overlooks the city. The ski jump had been recently been reconstructed in 2002. The ski jump was totally different from the last time Jeremy had been there. For a price of a ticket, you took a funicular to the top of the ski jump and was able to have a jumpers perspective of the looming jump. Also at the top, a restaurant was available to sit, eat and take in the scenery. The whole Innsbruck valley was below us and quite beautiful. Afterwards, we walked back down and to the other side of Innsbruck and walked along the Inn River. That night for dinner, we had amazing fajitas at a Mexican restaurant. The only thing missing were the chips and salsa!!! What is mexican food without chips and salsa?! Its a nice break from the local cuisine and provides us a glimpse of the food from home.

On Wednesday (5-17), we took the bus to the town of Ingls (?) which is the location of the Olympic downhill skiing and bobsledding courses. We took a gondola ride to the top of the mountain and decided to hike down. We were told the path we were to go would take approx

. 2.5 hours. Needless to say, the hike turned out to be 5 hours long!!!!! I (Suzanne) was glad to see it end when we stumbled upon a bus stop that would take me back to the B&B. Despite the additional hours, the views were tremendous of the valley below and the surrounding Alps. Fortunately, we made it back down the mountain in time for the Champions League soccer final (Arsenal v. Barcelona) which we watched at an Irish Pub around the corner. Barcelona ended up on top with 2 late goals to win the game 2 to 1.

Thursday morning we headed to the station to catch our train to Salzburg.